wine glass filled with red wine next to a cheese board and the words "Recipes that love wine"

Instant Pot Osso Buco

Now that the weather has finally cooled, it’s time to warm up your home with the delicious fragrances of long cooked stews and braises. But maybe like us, you’re sometimes too busy to take the time to create these delicious meals in the usual 4 to 6 hours. One of our fabulous winery staff has a favorite recipe that they graciously shared which includes the popular kitchen tool – the instant pot. This technique can shave 3 to 5 hours off of your usual cooking time for an amazing Italian favorite, Osso Buco. We think that an hour for cooking during the week is doable, especially if we prep the vegetables and keep them in the fridge until cooking time. This dish can be paired with red or white, try Albariño, Blossom Rosé, Malbec,  or Cabernet.


Instant Pot Osso Buco

2 lbs. Osso Buco beef shanks
2 TBS olive oil
2 clove garlic, minced
½ medium onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, diced (1/2 inch)
2 celery ribs, diced
½ cup white wine
14 oz can diced tomatoes and the juice from can
1 cup beef broth
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
Fresh grated parmesan, red pepper flakes, chopped flat leaf parsley for garnish if desired

  1. Preheat your Instant Pot to sauté high and add 1-2 tablespoons oil. Pat dry the shanks and season generously on both sides with salt and pepper.
  2. Once your instant pot is hot enough (should be about 2 mins past when it beeps) Brown your shanks 1-2 minutes on each side.
  3. Remove the shanks and set aside. Add carrots, onion, celery, and garlic to the pot. Sauté until softened slightly soft – 2-4 minutes.
  4. Add the wine, use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the lovely browned bits. Reduce until about half the wine is left – 2-3 minutes.
  5. Stir in tomatoes, stock, salt and pepper to taste. Return the browned meat and nestle into the vegetables and liquid.
  6. Set pressure to custom (high) and braise for 45 minutes. Quick release when done and serve, garnished with grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, red pepper flakes, and flat leaf parsley as desired. Serve with noodles, rice, or bread to soak up all the yummy juices.

Enjoy!

Lemony Asparagus Pasta

We wait all year for local asparagus and when it starts to come in, we find all kinds of ways to enjoy this amazing spring veg.  This is a light, fresh dish that is perfect as a main course for lunch, or add your favorite protein for a scrumptious dinner. If you need to stay away from gluten, there are many terrific gluten free pastas out there that will work great. Tasty add-ins would be fresh spring peas or chopped ham or bacon. We’re going to add extra garlic and pepper flakes! This will be so tasty with our Dry Rosé or Riesling, or if you’re a red wine fan, try the Sangiovese or Malbec.
Cheers!


Lemony Asparagus Pasta

¾ lb. penne pasta
1 lb. thin asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2″ pieces
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 small onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 c. heavy cream
1 c. dry white wine, (Albariño or Dry Riesling would be great)
1 small lemon, zested and juiced
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving
1/4 c. fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (or more, to taste)

1.    Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add penne and cook according to package directions, until just al dente. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain pasta and set aside.
2.    Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Cook asparagus until crispy, then season with pinch of salt. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
3.    Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Cook onions about three minutes, add garlic and cook until softened, about 2 minutes more. Add white wine, reduce for 2 to three minutes, add heavy cream, lemon juice, and zest. Bring mixture to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Add in salt, Parmesan, and black pepper. Reduce heat to low and mix until well combined.
4.    Mix in pasta and a little pasta water and toss until well coated, allow to simmer 2 to three minutes until sauce thickens. Turn off heat and mix in asparagus and parsley until well coated. If sauce is too thick, add small amounts of pasta water until you reach desired consistency. Serve with more grated Parmesan, cracked black pepper, and red pepper flakes.
Serves 4

Enjoy!

March Recipe –

What better way to cheer on warmer weather than with a little dose of Irish influence? If you’ve never combined stout with chocolate, here’s the perfect opportunity. A recipe with few ingredients and minimal time spent over a hot stove is our idea of the perfect meal-ender, or late afternoon pick-me-up. We recommend using your favorite stout, we love Guinness. If you really want to get decadent, sip a little Doce or Malbec with your chocolate treat.

Chocolate Stout Lava Cake

5 oz butter , plus extra for the ramekins
7 oz dark chocolate (70% cocoa), roughly chopped
1/3 cup golden caster sugar (regular white sugar will work)
3 large eggs
1/3 cup Guinness
Heavy whipping cream, stiffly whipped, to serve (optional)
1/3 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Butter four 6 ounce ramekins and set aside. Place the butter, chocolate and a pinch of salt into a heatproof bowl. Set over a small pan of just-simmering water and stir until melted, then remove from the heat and leave to cool a little.

Put the sugar and eggs in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until pale, almost doubled in volume and thick enough to leave a trail when the beaters are lifted up. Gently fold in the melted chocolate and the Guinness. Spoon the mixture into the ramekins, then chill in the fridge for 1 hr. Heat oven to 400°f  and put a baking tray on the top shelf to heat up.

Place the ramekins on the hot baking tray and bake for 18 mins. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips (if desired) leave to stand for a minute, then serve with a dollop of cream, if you like. Ice cream is also delicious.

Enjoy!


Try this…

It’s that time of year again. Time for your homemade cranberry sauce. We’d love you to try this Williamson family recipe at your next family gathering.

cranberry-sauceCranberry Sauce with Doce
12 oz. cranberries
Zest and juice of 2 Oranges
1/2 cup Doce
3/4 cup Sugar
1/2 to 1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom

Add all ingredients to a medium size and heavy bottomed sauce pan. Bring to a boil,  lower the temperature and simmer until thickened, approximately 10 minutes or until most of the berries have burst. Taste and add Doce and/or sugar to taste. Mixing well after any additions and make sure the sugar has dissolved.